Referencing
A crucial part of your academic studies will often include reading extensively around your discipline area and
integrating other people’s ideas and research into your learning. You may also have to use ‘evidence’ from the
literature to support the conclusions you want to make. When you do this as part of an assignment, you need to
make sure the reader knows where you are getting your information or evidence from, and how this fits with your
own ideas and conclusions. When using somebody else’s ideas, research data, evidence and conclusions, these need
to be clearly acknowledged so that they can be distinguished from your own work. The reader is then able to see
how you have integrated your reading with your writing and can track down the original resources if they so wish.
Using and acknowledging other people’s work in your assignments is also a way of demonstrating the reading you
have been doing. Acknowledging resources usually takes place both within the text of an assignment and in a
reference list. Each School has a standard format for doing this which all students are requested to adhere to.
So that you can accurately acknowledge the resources you are using it is helpful to keep a note of these as you go
along. You can keep this record up-to-date by using bibliographic software such as RefWorks. RefWorks supports the
referencing systems used by Schools at the University of Stirling and is available to all students.
Important points to remember (unless the style your School uses, tells you otherwise!):
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Check that you are clear which referencing style you need to use for each module. Each School has adopted
a standard referencing system and students are requested to adhere to this. If you are taking modules within
different schools, you may have to adopt different referencing styles for the different modules.
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Be consistent with styles
o Do not start using Harvard and then switch to MLA, for example.
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Be clear and comprehensive
o You must add as much information as is required, be consistent, and make sure it is correct, so that
someone else can find your sources.
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Different types of material are presented differently
o Online references often need the URL and date accessed; Journal articles need Volume and often
Issue number and sometimes the month of publication.
Harvard System: Citing References within Your Essay
Here are some examples of in-text citation using the Harvard style:
To acknowledge a paraphrased idea put the reference information in brackets next to the idea used.
For example:
There is some evidence (Smith 1995) that these figures are incorrect.
or
Smith (1995) has provided evidence that these figures are incorrect.
When using direct quotations (remember to enclose direct quotations in inverted commas or quotation
marks) or referring to particular sections of a document you must give the page numbers. Include the page
numbers after the date within the brackets, use either a comma, or colon: to separate the date and page
numbers. Abbreviations include: page (p.) pages (pp.) section (s.) and sections (ss.). If no page number is
available (for example it has been taken from a web page use (n.p.)
For example:
Härdtlein et al. argue that ‘many C++-programmers still hesitate to implement the ET technique’
(2010, p. 59).
OR
Härdtlein et al. (2010, p.59) argue that ‘many C++-programmers still hesitate to implement the ET
technique’.
RefWorks’ Harvard British Standard Examples: What Information Do You Need For A Reference List?
Book
LAWRENCE, D., 1999. Teaching with confidence: a guide to enhancing teacher self-esteem. London: Paul Chapman.
Edited book
KNAPP, A. and WRIGHT, V., eds, 2006. Government and politics of France. 5th edn. London: Routledge.
Book, chapter
DOUMANIS, N., 2001. The unification of Italy. In: N. DOUMANIS, ed, Italy. London: Arnold, pp. 64-85.
Book, chapter in edited book
BUSCATTO, M., 2011. Using ethnography to study gender. In: D. SILVERMAN, ed, Qualitative research: issues of
theory, method and practice. 3rd edn. London: Sage, pp. 35-52.
Journal article
MEECH, P., 1995. The Daily Record: a century of success and neglect. Scottish Affairs, 13(1), pp. 1-14.
Online journal article
ANTIA, S.D., JONES, P., LUCKNER, J., KREIMEYER, K.H. and REED, S., 2011. Social Outcomes of Students Who Are Deaf
and Hard of Hearing in General Education Classrooms. Exceptional children, 77(4), pp. 489-504.
Video/DVD
HITCHCOCK, A., 1940. Rebecca. Beverly Hills: ABC Motion Pictures.
Web Page
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 1st July 2011, 2011-last update, Education and Training [Homepage of Scottish
Government], [Online]. Available: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education [09/08, 2011].
If you need any further guidance about referencing other sources not included in this list, please ask at the
Information Centre in the Library.
Example Bibliography (Harvard British Standard)
ANTIA, S.D., JONES, P., LUCKNER, J., KREIMEYER, K.H. and REED, S., 2011. Social Outcomes of
Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing in General Education Classrooms. Exceptional children, 77(4),
pp. 489-504.
BUSCATTO, M., 2011. Using ethnography to study gender. In: D. SILVERMAN, ed, Qualitative research:
issues of theory, method and practice. 3rd edn. London: Sage, pp. 35-52.
DOUMANIS, N., 2001. The unification of Italy. In: N. DOUMANIS, ed, Italy. London: Arnold, pp. 64-85.
HITCHCOCK, A., 1940. Rebecca. Beverly Hills: ABC Motion Pictures.
KNAPP, ANDREW AND WRIGHT, VINCENT, eds, 2006. Government and politics of France. 5th edn.
London: Routledge.
LAWRENCE, D., 1999. Teaching with confidence: a guide to enhancing teacher self-esteem. London: Paul
Chapman.
MEECH, P., 1995. The Daily Record: a century of success and neglect. Scottish Affairs, 13(1), pp. 1-14.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, 1st July 2011, 2011-last update, Education and Training [Homepage of
Scottish Government], [Online]. Available: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education [09/08, 2011].
Information about Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a very serious offence. The rule is that you must not represent the ideas of other people (whether they
are published or unpublished works, (e.g., journal articles, reports) or the works of other students, (e.g., your friend’s
essay) as your own. Even if you work in groups, if you are asked to submit individual reports or essays, make sure
you write them up individually and do not collaborate on the finished piece of work too closely. Your written work
may be scanned by software called Turnitin; this software highlights any passages which match other essays or
sources. To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use:
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another person's idea, opinion, or theory
any facts, tables, statistics, graphs, drawings
any pieces of information that are not common knowledge
quotations of another person's actual spoken or written words
paraphrase of another person's spoken or written words
Therefore acknowledging any printed, spoken or electronic sources of information you have used is crucial,
otherwise you could be accused of plagiarism, and subject to disciplinary action. There are severe penalties for
plagiarism. See: http://www.quality.stir.ac.uk/ac-policy/assessment.php
For full details and the University policy regarding plagiarism go to the IS web pages:
http://www.is.stir.ac.uk/research/citing/plagiarism.php
For helpful information about how to recognise plagiarism and avoid it, download the University’s "The Little Book of
Plagiarism" here:
http://www.quality.stir.ac.uk/documents/BookofPlagiarism.pdf
RefWorks or other bibliographic software can help you keep track of the sources you have used, store accurate
information about references and using the Write-N-Cite Word add in, can help you cite within your essay and create
bibliographies in your Department’s style. For more information and help see:
http://www.is.stir.ac.uk/help/training/refworks/
Student Learning Services run workshops on ‘Avoiding Plagiarism and referencing. See the Student Learning Services
‘Succeed’ site for more information.
RefWorks Mini Guide
Login
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Go to the University Portal click on the Resources tab. Click on the Link Login to RefWorks.
If asked to Login through your institution select University of Stirling from the Shibboleth list.
The first time you login you will be asked for your email address – please use your Stirling University
email: [email protected].
Create a Folder
RefWorks helps you create lists of references for each essay or project. This helps you organise your
references and easily create bibliographies.
 Click on the New Folder button.
 Type in a logical name for the folder, e.g. Essay 1.
 Click Create.
Move a Reference to a Folder
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Select the reference by checking the small square next to it.
From the Folders drop down list select the folder you want.
Type in a Reference
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Go to References at the top menu and click on Add New.
Select your Subject’s style (e.g. Harvard) from the dropdown list at View fields used by.
From the Specify Folders (if any) drop down list select your folder.
Choose the Ref Type, e.g. Journal Article or Book, Whole.
Fill in the details.
Get Reference from Database, Direct Export
Example using a journal article – more help for other sources and to export using filters is available from the
online training page: http://www.is.stir.ac.uk/help/training/refworks
 Click to view the full record for the article. Then click the link Download to citation manager or
Export Citation (these might have different names, but look for ‘citation’).
 A new page with different options opens. Select RefWorks or RefWorks Direct Export.
 You might have to allow pop-ups in your web browser.
 RefWorks should open and you might have to log in, see above.
 Move the reference to a folder, if your wish, see above.
Create a Bibliography
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Click on Bibliography at the top menu, then Create.
Choose Output Style, e.g. Harvard.
Select References to Include.
In the drop down Specify Folder (optional), select your folder, e.g. Essay 1.
Click on Create Bibliography.
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Then copy and paste from the new window (allow pop-ups), email to yourself or download it.
ALWAYS CHECK THE BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR ERRORS AND CHECK DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES